Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-29
INDIANS AND BEARS.

i had been camped for a month in the
Wind River mountains, Wyoming, near
the headwatcrs of Green river before I
got an Indian alarm. | hs come up from
Fort Bridser with u pack 4lulc and plenty
of traps and provisions. and 10y travelling
mostly at night and taking every pains to
hide my trail had escaped the attention
Of the redskins. Having gained the upper
end Of the valley. | found Il safe spot for
the mule and plenty of game for my traps.
For the first two weeks | did not discharge
my rifle once, l was trapping for fur, and
what fresh meat | needed killed with the
bow and arrow. In twenty-five days
had a mule load of furs. l had but 10 set
my traps and wait little. ]. must have
been years since any one had hunted or
trapped in that valley, for the hares would
scarcely run away, and on three or four
occasions black tailed deer stopped at half
pistol shot and Cazed at me rs if they had
never seen n human being before
The discovery which SO veyed and
alarmed me was made early in the morn
ing. | had my camp close in To the base
Of the mountains on the east side of the
valley, while the mule was hidden on the
west side, about opposite. l had inclosed
him in about half an acre of ground, on
which there was a spring, by building up
q light brush fence and by hoppling him,
| and IL had been my custom to visit him at
least every other day. My furs were
stored in cave forty rods above my camp
as fast rs accumulated, and had neg
lected no precaution which experience
could suggest. Each morning it was my
custom To climb to a ledge of rocks over
hanging my camp and take a careful sur
vey of the valley through field glass
which had carried for years. On this
occasion had scarcely turned the glass
down the valley when discovered three
| Indians, each mounted. and pack horse
following. They We're not in war dress.
but three bucks who had come into the
valley on the same errand as myself
was boiling mad over the advent OF
my visitors. All my luck was gone in
moment. and might consider il a great
stroke of fortune if got out alive and
left them my mule and furs. The fellows
We're ten miles away when first sighted
| them, and had a little time to reflect on
my course. They would certainly come
up the valley rs high as my camp, and it
was certain that would have To move.
The idea of giving up all had gained and
sneaking off empty handed was too repug-
pant To he acted on, and after had spent
| ten minutes watching the trio. descended
the ledge with "a firm determination not
to leave the valley. had not Yet lighted
q fire to prepare my breakfast. | gathered
up all the brands, covered the ashes with
leaves and dirt, and worked for quarter
Of an hour to obliterate all signs Of the
camp Ny furs in the cave must take
their chances. 1t was well hidden spot,
and the Indians might or might not dis
cover il My destination was a gulch or
canyon, mile further up the valley. and
on my side of 2. had twice passed the
entrance, but had never explored the
gulch. Il doubtless contained some hid
ing place or point of advantage and
would he forced to seek shelter until
knew what the Indians purposed doing.
The redskins were coming up the val
ley at Il slow pace, and had entered the
gulch half an hour before they We're op-
posite my camp Standing at the mouth
of the gulch could see them very plainly.
From their movements Judged they had
never been in the valley before, or AT least
not As high up. While they were not
looking for signs Of white men, and had
no suspicious Of my presence, their hawk
eyes soon made discovery. They ran on
TO footprint. an overturned stone. or
some other proof Of the presence of a hui
man being. and moment later they
swerved across the valley and entered the
very thicket where my mule was con-
cealed. | was in for il now. The dis
covery of the mule would put them on to
me- and the three hunters after game
would become three warriors after my
scalp. ! instantly abandoned all hope of
saving any Of my property and started off
up the gulch to make my escape through
the range.
1t was rough, dark place had got
into. In no place was the rift over ten
feet wide, while it narrowed here and
there 20 four or five. Its sides We're al
most perpendicular. and ! had not gone
over 800 feet before l came to the end. II
was what is known as "a false canyon"
extending only little way into the noun
tain instead Of cutting through it. In the
twilight which prevailed down there l
ran plump mp against mass OF rock in
the path and when l had burned a match
or two / fully realized the situation. l
was in a a trap. II was not likely that the
Indians yet knew of my location. They
knew that one or more white men were in
the valley. but could not tell just where.
1t was morning, you remember, and
before night came they would know all
about it. They would creep aud dodge
and reconnoiter, and before noon they
would he certain that they had only one
man TO deal with. Any attempt 10 leave
by way Of the valley would he check
mated, and could not get out at the up
per end without going over the wild and
rugged mountains. l should, however,
have returned to the mouth of the gulch
| To try some other way, but while l was
burning last match heard a great clat-
ter on tue rocky bed Of the rift few
Yards of. Believing the Indians to be
| coming, | looked swiftly around for some
| place of cpnccalmeut OF advantage. ana TO
| my right 1 sGw hole in the rocks. In
| three Jumps was at the spot, and ten
] seconds later had crawled into the hole
| on hands and knees. The minute l got
nv nose inside smelt bear Indeed, the
odor was strong enough TO stiile me. l
knew also that I had entered a den or
cave of considerable extent. and hastily
struck a match 10 look around me. 1t
was a cave While the entrance was
,crv narrow the chamber was at least
eight by twelve in size, and high enough
cor me stand up i'll.
1t required only few seconds to take
in what have told you. and the match
had lust expired when | heard n sniff anu
''woufr' AT the entrance, and not only
smclt bear. but heard him. He had his
head in the hole, and | whirled my rifle
about and fired right into his face. The
roar he uttered shook the solid rock of the
cavern, and he drew back. tumbled around
in the gulch for two or three minutes and
then made off, whining with pain and
growing with anger as he went. When
could hear him no more ! lighted another
.. match and looked for hairs on the rocks.
They were there in plenty, and they were
proofs that it was a cinnamon bear whom
: had turned out Of house and home
= There were couple of loose rocks on The
, floor of the den, and the first move mads
was to roll them up and block the en-
tranca While they did not MI the AMER